A Chance Encounter
by everlovingdeer
Summary: "It's been a while," I started slowly, not really knowing what else to say. "Years," he corrected with a short smile.
1. A Chance Encounter

Moving to a completely different country was never something I'd pictured myself actually doing. Of course, it was something I thought but never voiced, wanting to explore the world around me. It was always a silent wish never something I saw myself following through. And yet here I was, having moved to bleeding Romania completely on a whim. The opportunity to work at a different dragon reserve had sprung up seemingly from the middle of nowhere and I took it with both hands, without even considering that I would be chosen. It was an open application, with no doubt thousands applying from all around the world. When I checked once again, my application for transfer has already been approved and I was leaving India far behind to settle in Romania.

Bloody Romania.

Not even a reserve in France or another country that I knew a decent amount about, but bloody Romania. I wouldn't let myself regret it, though. This was something I refused to regret.

Instead, I rifled through all of the paperwork that I needed to sign off on before I could officially begin working tomorrow. Checking that everything was in order, I read carefully through the papers once more, making sure that I wasn't signing off on something that I shouldn't. Merlin knew that I'd heard about some dodgy dragon reserves adding clauses to contracts where employees if they passed away whilst working, could be fed to the dragons they worked so hard to raise and because people hadn't read their contracts properly … well.

Once I was content that everything was in order, that I wasn't signing up to become dragon food, I signed the last remaining document before handing it back to the waiting member of staff. The older wizard set about creating a file for my details and assured me that my escort would be arriving soon. Soon, it turned out, would mean mere minutes as one of the dragonologists approached me with a friendly smile.

"Pillai?" she asked as she drew closer to me. Hearing my surname, I straightened up and took her outstretched hand in a firm handshake. "I'm Innis, we've been looking forward to your arrival."

"Oh?" I glanced curiously towards her as she set about leading me away from the welcome desk and towards the outer perimeter of the reserve that was lined by the staff's cabins.

"We're severely understaffed at the moment," Innis confessed as we walked. She cast a warm smile towards me when she noticed how I was taking in the organisation of the reserve; it really was very different from the one I used to work at. I was confident that I'd get a handle on it all soon enough. "You came very highly recommended and the choice was easier than we'd originally thought it would be."

"That doesn't sound right, I thought thousands applied, " I murmured absentmindedly, feet coming to a halt on their own as we reached a dragon pen that was surrounded by a large number of staff.

All the dragonologists – trainees and fully licensed alike – stood bordering the edge of a pen and shouted so loudly over each other that I couldn't hope to hear what they were saying. It seemed that in the face of such situations some people forgot their most basic of training; shouting would make the dragons more anxious, making them more worked up. And Merlin, one of them was certainly very worked up.

In the centre, the Peruvian Vipertooth – a male, judging by its size – was circling around the outer rim of the pen. The Peruvian Vipertooths, a breed known to be particularly venomous posed a significant threat to those who worked with them. This male in particular was rearing harshly against what seemed like 3 females who were holding their own and sticking together in the middle of the pen. My eyes finally shifted away from the dragons, lingering on the redheaded keeper who had dove into the fray, trying to intercede in the fight.

"What is he trying to do?" I asked curiously, turning to Innis who had come to a stop beside me, her eyes watching the scene before her.

"Things like this happen often," she confessed with a sigh, crossing her arms over her chest. "It looks like Weasley is acting like the distraction just until we can get the dragons under control. The male has been doing that for weeks now and we really don't know why."

Innis didn't say another word as we instead, settled for watching as the redheaded dragonologist who I now knew as Weasley, managed to garner all the attention of the male Vipertooth who reared his head back in preparation for singeing Weasley until nothing but his bones remained. Moments later I understood why the other dragonologists had been making such a racket; they were doing their best to distract the male to give Weasley the chance to get close enough. And then, when Weasley was close enough, they all dove into action; dozens of dragonologists jumped into the enclosure, each with their wand pointed at one of the four dragons. They set about casting stunning spells one after the other until all four dragons were safely slumbering.

"Right," Innis declared, taking me by the arm and drawing me away before I could see what happened next, "I think that's about enough excitement for your first day. Let's get you to your cabin so you can put your bags away. You still need to get a check-up from the on-site Healer before you can begin working tomorrow."

* * *

My first day on the job was strange wherein it didn't _feel _like my first day on the job because it _wasn't _my first day on the job. Every part of the job was the same as it was on the reserve back home, the only difference was where things were kept and who I needed to report certain things too. It would take a while for me to make sense of the reserve, to commit the map I carried in my pocket, to my mind. But I was certain I'd get there eventually. Not that I had much choice in the matter.

After officially clocking in for the day, I decided to head towards the pen that I had been assigned to, the first on the list. On my way towards my destination, I walked past thee Peruvian Vipertooth pen and couldn't help it when my steps slowed to a halt in front of it. It seemed that yesterday they had decided to separate the male from the remaining three Vipertooths and placed him into a different pen; it was probably for the best given the way I could _still _hear the male roaring in the background. I wondered what was setting him off?

Continuing on my way, I approached the pen where the Swedish Short-snouts were housed and looked over the occupied pen. When compared to all of the other dragon enclosures in the reserve, it was practically empty with only two dragons settled inside of it. Given their size difference, they were a mated pair and, as I drew even closer to the pen, I realised that I knew the female of the pair. I knew her very well.

With quickening paces, I approached the pen until I was practically pressed against the wood of the enclosure and whistled a simple three-note tune. It worked in a heartbeat.

The female turned her head towards the sound, spying me standing there and her entire body curved towards my standing form. She raised her head back and whilst it made have looked threatening to some, I knew better. But the other trainers around me had no idea. In fact, judging from the way they continued to call out for me to move away, to be careful, they thought that I was in some serious trouble. I paid them no heed.

"Rani," I called out slowly and just like that, Rani lowered her head and was striding quickly towards me. The voices behind me grew much more urgent and I waved them away still, extending a hand towards her. Rani, came to a standstill in front of me, watching me cautiously.

"Move away," a voice warned urgently from behind me, sounding much closer than any of the others that continued to call out to me, "You have no idea –"

"This isn't my first day on the job," I reminded whoever was behind me without even looking back at them, my eyes were focused on the docile dragon before me. I edged my hand even further forward, ignoring the sharp inhale coming from the person behind me as Rani crept even closer.

The voice grew more panicked and I shrugged out of the hand that clamped itself forcefully around my arm, trying to pull it back, "But still – "

"I raised her!" I exclaimed eventually, still smiling at Rani who finally, finally pressed her head against my open palm. Satisfied that she was relaxed and remembered me, I rubbed her nose soothingly, "Rani was rejected by her mother at birth – she was the runt of the litter and I had to hand rear her. She was the only one of her clutch to survive past two months."

Satisfied, I stepped away from the pen but Rani followed my hand and I couldn't help but coo. She extended her neck past the outer boundary, searching out my hand and I continued to cuddle into her, finally looking to the dragonologist who had been so concerned about me. And Merlin, I hadn't expected to find myself eye to eye with a very familiar red-haired wizard.

"Charlie," I greeted slowly, continuing to give Rani soft handed pats against her scaled skin.

He greeted me silently with a smile, watching Rani in wonder, "She's normally so fussy – not letting anyone near her."

"She's just a big baby who is weak in front of her mother," I assured him confidently, "I haven't seen her since she was transferred out for the mating programme."

"Speaking of the mating programme," Charlie said slowly, glancing pointedly towards the male who was lingering in the background and watching us in case he detected any threat towards his mate.

"Really?" My smile widened, threatening to split my face as I finally looked towards her descended stomach. "Are you preparing to lay eggs?"

My hand travelled down Rani's body, settling on her stomach and rubbing over it gently. She made a rumbling sound deep from inside her chest, sounding at ease as I finally removed my hand from her. With another pat to her nose, I gestured for her to leave and despite her reluctance, Rani listened well when her mate called her back. My eyes followed her retreat, watching the way she was gathering materials to make up her nest where she would lay her eggs.

"I'm too young to become a grandmother," I despaired with a sigh. Finally turning my eyes once more back towards Charlie, I announced absentmindedly, "You should probably keep an eye on her in the early days after birth – in case she rejects her babies as well."

Reluctantly turning my back towards the pen, I looked to the dragonologist who was watching me closely. Charlie stood a short distance away, arms crossed over his chest and a mysterious smile curving at the corner of his mouth.

"What?"

"Nothing. It's nothing." He shook his head slowly. Standing straight, he outstretched a hand towards me, "Long time no see, Pillai."

* * *

The dragonologists on the reserve were a friendly bunch. They didn't close ranks within one another to ostracise newbies and they certainly didn't separate trainees from the fully trained dragonologists either. No, everyone socialised with each other, sitting wherever they found some space and joining into the conversations that happened around them without needing to be caught up. It was certainly new for me, the way everyone was so easily entuned to everything happening around them, the way they knew when to shuffle further down their bench so that someone could sit beside them. But perhaps I would become the same after having worked here for a little longer because I had, after all, only been here for a little over a day.

"Pillai," Innis's voice carried easily across the crowded hall.

I sought her out instantly, looking around and finding her sitting at a crowded table. She absentmindedly batted away a hand that tried to steal some of her chips and gestured for me to take the seat beside her. Heading over towards her, I took the seat she'd left for me with a thankful smile.

"I saved you a seat," she assured me, watching as I put my tray of food down in front of me. Picking at my sandwich, I glanced curiously towards her as she explained, "Can't exactly have you getting lost, now can I?"

"The reserve is much bigger than the one back home," I admitted, casting an absentminded glance around the table to see who I had sat with. Unsurprisingly I didn't recognise very many of them.

Innis, likely realising this, set about introducing me to every single person at the table. They all smiled and greeted me back in turn, some offering words of advice, some wanting to know my experience with dragons and some somehow had already heard about my relationship with Rani who was surprisingly a picky dragon. As far as I had known her, she'd been the most docile dragon I'd ever worked with. Innis continued with her introductions until she reached Charlie Weasley who I only realised then was sneaking not so subtle amused glances my way. He must have found it funny that we were being introduced through someone else when not so long ago we had introduced ourselves to each other. Or rather re-introduced. Because after all, we had met … years ago, now.

_No matter how often I tried to navigate my way through Diagon Alley, I simply couldn't. It wasn't because I lacked the ability to find directions, but because of the sheer number of people walking around the streets that I always managed to lose my way. Whenever I found myself having to weave through the utterly ridiculous number of people in the streets, I quickly gave up and ducked into a smaller side street just so I could have some breathing space. That was the mistake I always made; ducking into side streets with the assumption that I'd be able to make my way back and failing to do so. _

_And now, now I was forced to stumble around in search of the Potions ingredients shop in a pointless effort to try and be done before the sun had set. The sooner I completed all my tasks, the sooner I could head back to the accommodation I was staying in for part of my training. It was this desperation to get back to the bed that I'd been forced to leave too early – **far too early **– on a Saturday morning that had my paces quickening as I walked without looking where I was going. My second mistake of the day it seemed as I bumped right into someone, sending whatever they were holding flying out of their hnads ._

_Apologises spewing from my mouth, I ducked down to pick up what they had dropped – a shopping bag with WWW printed over it – _

_"You really don't need to pick that up," the person – a man – interceded, beating me to it and picking up his shopping bag. He held it absentmindedly in one hand, offering me the other to help me stand. I took it after a little debate, straightening up under his eyes and instantly smiling. "I should have been watching where I was going."_

_"I think it was my fault," I said apologetically, looking him over to see if I'd managed to cause him any harm in my absentmindedness. "I was rushing and not paying attention."_

_"Don't worry about it," he assured me again, "You made me drop my bag and I made you drop your umbrella and now you're soaked. I think we're even."_

_"My umbrella?" I repeated, only then realising that I **had**_ _dropped my umbrella which had previously been shielding me from the rain. He outstretched the umbrella towards me again and I took it gratefully. "Thank you."_

_"Should you be thanking someone that's the reason you're soaked?" Smiling charmingly, he watched me expectantly, extending a hand out to block a running child who almost bumped into me. _

_"It's fine," I assured him, my list of potions ingredients now forgotten. "I can dry myself off." _

_"Let me make it up to you," he insisted as if he hadn't stated just moments ago that we were now even. "Come and get a drink with me."_

_"Oh I –" Trailing off, I watched as he gestured behind him towards a rather cosy looking pub. _

_"We can get warm inside." _

_Watching him knowingly, I tried not to smile so widely. "Before I go anywhere with you, I think I need to know your name. Just so I know who I need to blame should anything happen to me."_

_Mouth parting in mock outrage, he raised a hand to his chest and starting to silently lead me towards the pub. I dropped into step beside him, listening as he assured me, "You can trust me, love."_

_"My mother said not to trust men who use terms of endearment so easily."_

_"I guess I'll just have to prove her wrong." Approaching the pub door, he held it open for me, gesturing for me to step inside first. "I'm Charlie, by the way, Charlie Weasley."_

"This," Innis said, snapping me from my thoughts and likely doing the same with Charlie who had probably been thinking of the same thing, "is Charlie Weasley, the resident –"

"No need to introduce us," Charlie cut her off, gesturing towards me with a meaningful smile that no one missed, "Pillai and I have a long history."

* * *

Despite having been at the reserve for almost a week, I was still being shown around because apparently, I was under a basic probationary watch that would soon end. Merlin, it couldn't end soon enough because the sooner it _did _end, the sooner I could begin to work properly without someone hovering over my shoulder to keep an eye on me. For the past few days, even as I worked alongside the other dragonologists, I hadn't been given the most dangerous tasks – the best parts of the work I did.

Whoever was supposed to be showing me the ropes today was _late_. Not by much, but still late. I had been waiting here, beside Rani's pen for almost five minutes now and my partner for the day still hadn't turned up. What was I supposed to do when he was making me run late as well?

"Pillai!" when someone _finally _called my name, I stopped absentmindedly petting Rani who had approached me the moment she realised I'd come to visit her. Scanning the area around the pen I found Charlie Weasley walking towards me as if he wasn't already late.

"You're late," I said with a sigh that did nothing to stop my smile. "We were supposed to start working five minutes ago."

"And we can just finish five minutes later," he pointed out when he finally came towards me. His eyes instantly darted towards a docile Rani before he was reaching out to pet her as I was. She reared back from his touch, releasing a threatening rumble that only eased when I called out for her, calming her brewing anger. "Not so fond of me still, huh?"

"What exactly did you do to her, Weasley?"

"I was the first person she saw when she woke up after the move," he confessed. Turning his eyes away from Rani and looking at me, Charlie offered me a smile. "Long time no see, stranger."

"Why are you making it seem like I've been avoiding you?" Tucking his hands into his trouser pockets, he watched me silently before his eyes shifted once more back to the hand that was still attached to Rani's chest. "We just haven't seen each other because we've had no need to."

"Whatever you say." Finally straightening up again, Weasley looked to his watch. "Ten minutes now – we'll finish ten minutes later if we take our time."

"I wonder whose fault that is."

"Yours for being so distracting."

"Merlin." I tried and failed to hide my smile. "How about we actually get started then, Weasley?"

"Then come along, Pillai. I need to get some sense of your ability."

Without further preamble, he started to walk off without waiting to see if I was following along behind him. Quickly saying a final goodbye to Rani, I followed after Charlie and dropped into step beside him. He glanced towards me, sending me a silent smile when he noticed that I had finally caught up to him. Only then did he slow his steps down before looking forward once more. He eventually started to do his job, telling me the names of the dragons that we passed by as well as giving me little anecdotes about their personality as well. I made a mental note of it all.

Finally approaching one of the pens which it seemed was made specifically to house expectant mothers of all breeds away from overly aggressive fathers, I propped my crossed arms on the wooden fence, scanning the female dragons. Surprisingly, none of them were behaving aggressively towards each other and were rather taking turns to care for one another's eggs and nests. It was almost like they had formed a clan of sorts. Coming out of my thoughts, I looked towards Charlie who I realised had been watching me.

"It's been a while," I started slowly, not really knowing what else to say.

"Years," he corrected with a short smile. Gesturing back towards the pen, he told me, "This pen is usually where we place first-time mothers that had to leave their mates behind. We keep an eye on them to make sure that they don't reject their babies."

"First-time mothers," I repeated, glancing over my shoulder towards the pen I had left behind mere minutes ago.

"Rani already lost her first brood due to the aggressiveness of the father." Charlie sighed deeply, shaking his head in a way that heightened the heartbreak his words had brought on. "This is her second brood with a much more docile male."

"You'll still need to keep an eye on her," I admitted, straightening up. "Since her own mother rejected her, she might not be aware of how to accept them in the first place."

There was a quiet silence and I would have taken it to believe that Charlie was watching the expectant mothers like I was to make sure that they were all tending to their nests. But he wasn't. I could tell from the weight of the eyes on the side of my face.

I didn't even turn towards him as I asked, "What?"

"I just never pegged you as a dragonologist," he commented, vaulting over the fence and staring at me from inside the pen. He considered me for a moment, not knowing that I was startled by just how docile these soon-to-be mothers to be were.

"I can say the same for you."

"What did you have me pegged as?" he asked curiously, clapping his hands together to rid them of the dust before gesturing for me to hop over as well. I quickly followed his lead, hopping over the fence and coming to stand by his side when I realised that he was still watching me. "Well?"

"A ministry worker," I teased, looking over the grown dragons with an enthralled smile; maybe they were more docile because they were all expectant mothers? Because there was no aggressive male throwing his weight around all the time? I'd have to look it up later, "Or something equally as boring."

"Oh, believe me, there's nothing boring about me." _That _did it.

I averted my eyes from the dragons, looking to Charlie who was watching me expectantly. Raising an eyebrow, I demanded, "Are you always flirting during work time?"

"What makes you think I'm flirting with you?" He shot back, leaning towards me for a moment before he was off, approaching one of the nest.

"Aren't you?" I parried, watching as Charlie passed by one of the dragons who followed her with his eyes but did nothing else to him as he set about checking up on the eggs to make sure they were all a healthy size and showed no signs of hatching yet. He gave me no answer and instead gestured for me to hurry to his side and I was quick to comply.

* * *

With my one week's probation _finally _coming to an end, I was able to do the real parts of my job and I actually felt like I was contributing to the running of the reserve. It hadn't taken long for my colleagues to realise that during my free time I would swing by Rani's pen to keep an eye on her newly laid eggs and her nest. Hearing that she had already lost a brood rendered me even more on edge for her, wanting to make sure that nothing would happen to her eggs. How would she cope if –

"Pillai!" I turned instantly towards the sound of Innis's voice, finding her striding towards me dressed casually.

"Are you heading out somewhere?" I asked, gesturing to her casual clothing when she finally came close enough to hear me. Now that I thought about, a lot of the staff hadn't been wearing their uniform today.

"Since the newbies are done with their probation, we're heading out into the nearest town to get a drink," she confessed with an excited smile. When my silence lengthened and she clearly didn't get the answer she wanted, Innis reached out for my arm and shook it excitedly to try to make me join her mood. "You'll come along as well won't you – seeing as you're one of the newbies?"

"Believe me, I want to," I assured her with a smile, "but who drew the short straw to work tonight if we're heading out?"

"What does that matter?" she insisted, already dragging me away from Rani's pen and towards the cabins on the other side of the reserve. "As long as it wasn't either of us, it doesn't matter."

"Well if you put it like that –" trailing off, I turned to Innis and finally met her grin for the first time since she approached me. Finally, realising that I was not just willing to come along, but that I was looking forward to it, she was pleased. Her steps quickened as she led me towards my own cabin. "I suppose that when you go out for a drink here –"

"We only come back when someone has passed out," she assured me with a laugh as we finally reached my home. Heading inside, I left the door open for Innis to follow after me. She took a look around the cabin to see how I had decorated it and as I walked up the stairs, called out, "I have my money on Eun being the first to pass out. He always was a lightweight."

As I reached the top of the stairs, I heard her call out, "What's your tolerance like?"

"I could probably drink you blind!" I shouted back, heading into my bedroom to change out of my uniform.

Once I had changed into comfortable clothes and pulled my hair out of my ponytail, I fixed it quickly by running my hairbrush through it a few times. Satisfied that I looked at least a bit presentable, I stashed my wand in my waistband before heading downstairs to join Innis who I found reading through one of my notebooks.

"You've been keeping a note on the expectant mothers?" she asked, gesturing to my handwritten notes with an impressed nod.

"Losing a brood … I'd rather not have that happen again," I confessed, heading towards my shoe rack and slipping into some comfortable boots. Zipping them up, I looked expectantly towards Innis who closed the notebook and set it aside.

"No one in the reserve wants that," she admitted, her mood dampened for a short while. "We don't have the best track record for producing safe broods and that's why we wanted you especially. Your track record shows you're the best when it comes to bringing in a new generation."

"That I am," I confessed, shrugging into my coat and seeing no reason to be modest. Finally dressed, I looked towards Innis, "Shall we get going?"

With a nod, Innis joined me and together we left my cabin. I locked it behind me before joining Innis as she walked me towards the apparition point that I had only just discovered. She linked her arm through mine, preparing to apparate us away and telling me that the others had already headed out first and that we would meet them there. She apparated us away without another pause and when we emerged on the other side, Innis was so ready to begin drinking that she didn't let me get a good look around. Promising me that I could study the town to my heart's content at a later date, she took me by the arm again and led me towards the pub. And Merlin, I could hear the overly rowdy dragonologists from outside.

Finally releasing my arm, Innis pushed open the door and held it open for me. I followed after her, letting her show me the way towards what she soon told me was essentially two booths that were reserved for the staff of the reserve whenever they got permission to go out drinking. We passed by the bar where Innis ordered two drinks that I didn't dare pronounce – or find out what was in them. Sliding into the nearest booth I might have found myself sitting not so accidentally beside Charlie Weasley who, from the way he was smiling at me, already knew it.

"What have you been up to today?" he asked, turning to face me as I raised my glass to my mouth for a sip. I tried not to wince at how strong it was; it would certainly take some getting used to. But Merlin was I going to have fun getting used to it.

"I think I've been put in charge of watching the soon-to-be mums," I confessed with a smile, turning my own body towards his. "What about you?"

"Me? I spent my day missing you."

"Oh please," I scoffed, preparing to turn away from him when he caught my hand, keeping me facing him. Raising an eyebrow, I asked, "Are you going to let me talk to anyone else tonight?"

"They're nowhere near as good company as I am," he assured me, leaning in closer towards me. He moved so close that his thigh was pressed against mine, his arm around the back of my seat but I did nothing to move away from him. "I think it's time we got a better acquainted with each other." 

* * *

Following my night off, the very next day work began as soon as dawn broke. I took a moment to gather myself, to shake off the lingering effects of all the alcohol I'd pumped into my own system before getting ready for the day. Innis, my absolute saving grace, had a hangover potion already waiting for me as I went to clock in for the day. Apparently, someone had gone out to buy enough for all of the staff that had gone out last night because Merlin, you didn't need to be a dragonologist to know that dragons and hangovers simply did not mix. It took a minute or two for the effects of the potion to work and only then did I set off to work.

My first stop was the pen full of expectant mothers and I hovered around the outside of the pen, making sure that the eggs were being tended to and that none of the mothers was lashing out one another, I moved swiftly on towards Rani's pen. She, like all of the other expectant mothers, had awoken earlier than her still slumbering mate. My eyes lingered on her for a long moment with so much concern that I paid absolutely no heed to the man who had stood there waiting, no doubt to greet me. No, all of my attention was focused on Rani who instantly lumbered over towards me.

Outstretching a hand towards her, I rubbed her chest soothingly but didn't so much as look her way. Worrying my bottom lip with my teeth, I studied each of the five eggs in her clutch; they were too pale. If she had been warming them properly, the eggs should have been a richer pearl colour and they certainly shouldn't have been almost translucent in the light. Merlin, Rani was failing already as a mother.

"Her eggs are taking too long to hatch," I spoke up eventually, not needing to say that I was speaking to Charlie. With a sigh, I looked back to Rani who was preening like she was still that baby I had hand reared. "If they don't hatch soon, I don't think they're going to make it."

Finally removing my hand from Rani's scales, I turned expectantly towards Charlie. He didn't speak a word and instead, he continued to watch me in silence, occasionally throwing a concerned look towards the nest in the centre of the pen.

"She hasn't been warming the eggs," I sighed once more, looking back towards the eggs. "I have no idea how long they've been going without being heated but I don't know how much longer they will survive, Charlie. If we want a successful brood, we have to start by making sure they hatch."

Again, there was nothing more than a contemplative silence. Until –

"Haven't you heard the gossip going around the reserve?" he asked finally.

My eyes snapped away from the nest, meeting his with an incredulous frown. For such a respected dragonologist, he certainly didn't seem to know when to be serious about things. Only it seemed, as he continued to look at me, it appeared that he really _was _serious about this … gossip.

Again, he asked, "The gossip?"

"Of course, I've heard it," I said with an eventual roll of my eyes. Gesturing towards the unattended nest, I pointed out, "We simply have more important things to be worrying about right now, Charlie."

"What do you recommend we do then?" he asked finally, turning his body to face my own.

"There's only one thing we can do; we need to head in there and get the nest. They need to be taken away from her before the eggs freeze, even if that increases that chance of Rani rejecting them once they hatch, we have no other choice." Contemplating for a moment longer, I suggested, "Let me be the distraction. She likes me, even if I entered the pen, she won't do anything to me – she'll probably pay so much attention to me that she won't even notice you. You can slip in then and grab the nest. How does that sound?"

I turned expectantly towards him, "It sounds like a plan – one that should work as long as Rani follows along with you."

"She will." I was certain. Turning to walk around the pen, I went to approach the gate when Charlie caught up with me, stopping me with a single hand on mine. "Charlie?"

"How much longer are you going to be skipping around me?" he asked eventually, squeezing my hand gently when I tried to pull it away.

"Tell you what," I said slowly, thinking, "after we save those eggs from freezing, we can discuss things, alright? Who knows, I might even let you take me out."


	2. Epilogue: 6 Years Later

_6 YEARS LATER_

The staff in the medical cabin were a bunch of worries who liked to overthink _everything. _Yes, I had happened to faint in the middle of the reserve and yes, it was only right that I was brought in to be examined to make sure that there wasn't anything really wrong with me. Surely now that I was awake and now that there were clearly no lingering signs of any harm, they could let me leave? But clearly, that was asking too much of them. The healers insisted that I remained strapped to this ridiculously uncomfortable bed so they could monitor my blood pressure and keep an eye on me. Merlin, all I wanted was to stretch my legs out and that simple request seemed too much to ask of anyone. I already _knew _the reason why I'd fainted so surely there was nothing else for them to check?

Closing my eyes and resting my head against the pillow, I decided to get some rest; I might as well make the best of this stupid situation. Merlin, the tests the healers had run confirmed what I had already told them but the healers were insistent that I let them do their job and who was I to stop them? Snuggling my head down further into the pillow, I settled to take a nap when the sudden thundering footsteps on the steps into the cabin had my eyes snapping open. Turning towards the doors that had just been pushed harshly open, I tried not to groan upon finding Charlie standing in the open doorway. _Of course, _they had told him and of course, he'd mkde a scene.

Wishing nothing more than to disappear into thin air, I watched as Charlie searched the cabin until his eyes settled onto the bed I was occupying. He crossed the room with quick paces, hurrying to my bedside and reaching instantly for my hand. Holding it snugly between both of his, he scanned the room, looking for something.

"Where's Healer Brill?" he asked quietly, eyes looking me over hastily. Without waiting for my answer, he called out loudly, "Where is the Healer? Is someone going to tell me why my wife is lying down in this bed and – _ow_!"

"Charlie," I hissed, retrieving my hand from his to pinch him harshly in the side. He jerked sharply away from me, looking down at me incredulously. When he opened his mouth to say something else, I narrowed my eyes at him and silently dared him to speak a word. He didn't bother to listen.

"Brill! Lours!" he called out loudly again, searching for the healers who were busy looking after patients that actually needed their help. Not that Charlie would bother to hear anything about it.

With a frustrated sigh, I released his hands and sat up abruptly. Charlie, who had been leaning over me, backed up to give me space to move. Not that he got far. Grabbing him by the front of his uniform shirt, I drew him closer to me and shook him slightly to ensure that he listened to me.

"Shut _up, _Charlie!" His mouth parted instantly as he tried to defend his actions, "I mean it."

"Wait, what?"

Sighing once more, I released my hands from Charlie's shirt and gestured for him to take a seat on the bed. Tucking my legs under me and sitting crossed legged, I patted the space beside me and made sure he sat. He joined me reluctantly, reaching out to take my hand as he waited for me to explain. Merlin, how was I possibly going to explain this?

"I fainted," I said, beginning with what he likely already knew. "The healers ran some tests on me and found out that it was caused mainly by fluctuations in my blood pressure. It wasn't what it was supposed to be and I fainted."

Charlie, knowing me better than to accept the words at face value, held my eyes for longer. When it became obvious that I wasn't going to speak up, he probed even further, "_And_? What caused the problem in your blood pressure, then?"

Healer Brill finally decided to humour Charlie then. The older woman crossed the room to check up on the results of the blood pressure tests and when Charlie's concerned gaze continued to bore into the side of her face, she assured him that it was fine now. Realising that she wasn't going to tell him _why _I had really fainted, he looked expectantly towards me. And Healer Brill, who had honoured the promise she made me by not speaking a word of it to Charlie, held my gaze to make sure I did as I had promised. I already knew that if I didn't say anything, she wouldn't hesitate to break her promise to me.

Lowering my head under the combined weight of Healer Brill's _and _Charlie's eyes, I tried not to sigh again. Forcing myself to eventually raise my head, I looked met Charlie's expectant gaze. He continued to wait not so patiently.

"Charlie," I started slowly, reaching out to take both of his hands in mine.

"You're beginning to really scare me," he warned, voice trembling slightly.

"Let me talk already and you won't be so scared anymore." He eyed me dubiously but I continued anyway, "You need to find out what the reserves policies on maternity and paternity leave are."

Charlie, who had clearly only been thinking one thing, nodded. He nodded in a way that told me that he was relieved to find out I wasn't dying but that he hadn't really _understood _what I was trying to tell him. It took a moment longer until he finally did understand and then, then the smile threatened to rip his face in half. Maybe breaking the news to him after fainting had been a good thing after all. Merlin knew I had spent the last few weeks stressing over how to tell him and right now he was so _relieved _that it wasn't anything dangerous that he was smiling so widely. Before I could even hope to tease him, he drew me into his arms and clung on so tightly and for so long that eventually, Brill had to remind him to let me go.


End file.
